Circuit controllers



United States Patent CIRCUIT CONTROLLERS Kenneth J. J. McGowan, Pittsburgh, Pa.,

Westinghouse Air Brake Company, corporation of Pennsylvania assignor to Wilmerding, Pa., a

My invention relates to circuit controllers, and particularly to circuit controllers for assembly on a control board or track diagram together with other similar units for controlling railway signals, or other apparatus.

In a railway classification yard, the great number of track switches, signals and automatic car retarders are controlled by one or more operators in a strategically located control tower. The operators have before them a control panel on which a miniature track diagram is laid out showing the positions of the switches and car retarders together with small pilot lights showing the operative conditions of the yard apparatus. The control over the array of yard apparatus is exercised by means of push buttons and circuit controllers which for the most part are positioned on the control panel adjacent to the diagram of the particular piece of apparatus controlled thereb The circuit controllers in such installations are required to perform several control functions as, for example, set up the necessary electrical circuits for moving a particular switch from its normal position to its reverse position, and from its reverse position back to its normal position as the need arises. Such circuit controllers must also provide the necessary circuit connections for cancelling routes which had previously been automatically set up for routing a particular car over certain switches and tracks. It may also be desirable to control by the one and the same circuit controller the test circuits provided in such a classification yard system, or set up restrictive signals governing traffic over particular switches. Each of the control functions performed by the circuit controller re quires a set of contacts, the contacts and the operating means therefor resulting in a complicated and some times bulky assembly which is not too readily assembled in great numbers onto a control panel of limited length or It is therefore an object of my present invention to provide a circuit controller whereby at least four separate and distinct control functions may be performed, which circuit controller is sturdy, rugged, and compact, requiring but a minimum of space when assembled on a control anel. p A further object of my invention is to provide a circuit controller of the character indicated comprising few and simple parts which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easily assembled, and so arranged as to insure quick and positive operation of the circuit controller.

Another object of my invention is to provide a circuit controller of the character indicated in which the control lever thereof operates with a snap action into any one of its operating positions from any other of its operating positions without falling into any operating positions which may intervene between the last operated position and the desired position.

According to my invention a control lever is provided with a swivel connection permitting rotary movement of the control lever. A spring loaded plunger assembly is also provided which is swiveled at one end to the control lever and swiveled at its other end to a stationary block of the circuit controller. As will hereinafter appear, the plunger assembly and the control lever form a toggle mechanism to provide a snap action for the circuit controller. The stationary block serves as a contact support, the contacts being secured in pairs thereto and extend fory1a rdly in a circular arc about the plunger assembly. The plunger assembly is provided with a contact ring 8 for engaging and bridging the individual pairs of contacts.

A cam means or guide plate is provided for the control lever of the circuit controller whereby the rotary positions of the control lever are limited to specific points along the arc of movement of the control lever. The toggle action of the plunger assembly and control lever forces the control lever into the selected positions, the breaking of the toggle mechanism bringing the contact ring on the plunger assembly into engagement with the selected pair of contacts.

Other objects and characteristic features of my inven-- tion will become apparent as the description proceeds.

I shall describe one form of circuit controller embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a circuit controller embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line llII of Fig. 1, while Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line IlIlII of Fig. 1 illustrating a guide or cam plate for positioning the controlling elements of the circuit controller.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference character 1 designates a circuit controller embodying my invention. The circuit controller comprises a front plate 2 to which is secured, as by screws 3, two side plates 4 to form a U-shaped bracket. .The front plate 2 is formed with a forwardly extending, centrally located boss 2a which is threaded as at 2b. The rear surface of the front plate is provided with two registering, coaxial, annular recesses 20 and 2d, the recess 20 being of smaller diameter and provided with internal threads. The recess 2c registers with a through opening 22 provided in the boss 2a, the surface of the opening 2e being a concave spherical surface. The U-shaped bracket described may be secured to a panel P in the usual manner by a nut 21 threaded on the boss 2a.

Inserted through the opening 2e from the rear of the front panel 2 is a control lever 5. The control lever 5 is provided with two spherical surfaces 511 and 5b, the surface 5a being of larger diameter and located approximately at the median portion of the lever, while surface 5b forms the inner terminating end of the control lever. The spherical surface 511 bears against the concave spherical surface 22 of the front plate and is held in place by a retainer 6 which is threaded into the recess 20 of the front plate. The retainer 6 is formed with a tapered opening 611 which terminates in a concave spherical surface 6b which bears against the spherical surface 50 of the control lever. The spherical surfaces 26 and 6b of the front plate and retainer, respectively, provide a socket or swivel mounting for the control lever 5 of the circuit controller permitting rotary movement of the lever about an axis coincident with the axis of the opening 2e and limited by the abutment of the inner portion 50 of the control lever 5 with the sides of the tapered opening 6a in the retainer.

For the purposes hereinafter appearing the rotary movement of the control lever 5 is limited to a predetermined number of positions by a cam means or guide plate 7 which is secured to the front plate within the recess 2d by screws 8. In the embodiment of my invention herein illustrated, the guide plate '7 is formed with an opening having four positioning surfaces or lobes 7a-7d, the lobes being spaced approximately apart; the inner end of the control lever passing through the guide plate opening. The inner portion 50 of the control lever is adapted to engage the surfaces of the four lobes in four predetermined rotary positions of the control lever. It will be understood that the guide plate 7 may be provided with an opening having any desired number of positioning surfaces or lobes, each of which determines a definite rotary position for the control lever S.

Secured between the rear ends of the side plates 4 are two spacers 9 and 10 and a contact supporting block 11 therebetween, the spacers and block being of insulation material and secured between said side plates by bolts 12. The contact supporting block in the embodiment herein illustrated is four sided, each side having secured 0 thereto as by screws 13 and plates 13p, a pair of forwardly extending spring contact fingers Lin-14d; each of the fingers being provided with a stop 15. The contact block 11 may be provided with any number of sides, the number of sides being equal to the number of positions provided for the control lever by the guide plate. For purposes hereinafter appearing, the spring fingers are slightly skewed so that the contact ends thereof are in a circular are as shown in Fig. 2, and biased inwardly so that they engage their respective stops.

' The contact supporting block 11 is formed with a forwardly extending reduced portion 11a. Secured to the inner end of the reduced portion 11a is a socket 16 having a concave spherical surface 16a. Interposed between the socket 16 and the spherical end 5b of the control lever is a spring loaded plunger assembly 17.

The plunger assembly 17 comprises two telescoping members 18 and 19, the member 18 being of insulation material and receiving the member 19 therein. Interposed between the two telescoping members 18 and 19 is 'acoil gompression spring 20 tending to separate the two memers. cal end 19a which bears against the concave spherical surface 16a of the socket 16. Secured in the free end of the telescoping member 18 is a socket 21 formed with a concave spherical surface 21a. The spherical surface of the socket 21 bears against the spherical end 5b of the control lever. A swivel mounting is thus provided for the plunger assembly 17 and a swivel hinge between the plunger assembly 17 and the control lever 5.

Encircling the telescoping member 18 is a contact band or ring 22 of conducting material. As herein illustrated the contact ring is pressed on the member 18 and the end spun into a groove 18a to secure the contact ring in position, the contact ring being so positioned as to engage the contact fingers 14a-14d upon movement of the control lever into its predetermined positions.

, The control lever 5 and the plunger assembly 17 form a toggle mechanism wherein the hinge or break point is formed by the spherical end 5b of the control lever and the socket 21 secured to the end of the plunger assembly. The force of the compression spring 20 tends to move the'members 18 and 19 of the plunger assembly apart, thereby forcing the control lever to swivel in its socket connection into one of its four positions determined by the guide plate 7. When the toggle mechanism breaks, the contact ring 22 on the telescoping member 18 is moved into engagement with a pair of spring contacts, the contacts bridged by the contact ring being determined by the position of the control lever. Thus when the control lever 5 is in its rotary position determined by the lobe 7a of the guide plate, contacts 14a. will be bridged by the contact ring 22. The contacts 14b, 14c, and 1411 will be bridged by the contact ring when the control lever is in the positions determined by the guide plate lobes 7b, 7c, and 7d, respectively.

. In bridging a desired pair of contacts of the circuit controller described, the control lever 5 is moved from the one position toward the desired position. The control lever is thus swiveled in its socket connection to telescope the two members 18 and 19 of the plunger assembly 17, thereby compressing the coil compression spring 20. When the swivel connection formed by the spherical end 5b of the control lever and the socket 21 passes the center line of the plunger assembly and control lever, the toggle action due to the compressed spring snaps the control lever into its selected position. The toggle action of the control lever and plunger assembly will be the same whether the control lever is moved from The telescoping member 19 is formed with a spherione position to its next adjacent position, or moved from one position to its next succeeding position.

From the foregoing description of my circuit controller, it will be apparent that the contact ring 22 may be connected into an electrical circuit and engage one or more circuit connected contact fingers in each of the rotary positions of the control lever, instead of the insulated contact ring bridging two circuit connected contact fingers in each of the lever positions as illustrated.

The circuit controller herein illustrated and described is extremely sturdy and compact, comprising few and simple parts which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easily assembled. The toggle action of the circuit controller insures positive actuation of the desired contacts in all selected positions of the control lever.

The arrangement of parts is such that the individual sets of contacts are actuated as desired upon manipulation of the control lever to the selected positions without the requirement of moving the control lever through the .consecutive rotary positions of the control lever.

Although I have herein shown and described one form of a circuit controller embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A circuit controller comprising, a U-shaped bracket, a control lever swiveled about a point intermediate its ends on said bracket, an end of said lever extending inwardly between the two arms of said bracket, said end being formed with a spherical surface; a guide plate secured to said bracket and cooperating with the inwardly extending end of the control lever for confining the control lever to a predetermined number of rotary positions, a contact supporting block of insulating material secured between the arms of said U-shaped bracket, a socket secured to said block; a plunger assembly including two telescoping members, one of said members being of insulation material, a coil compression spring interposed between said telescoping members, a spherical surface on the free end of one of the members, and a socket on the free end of the other of the members; said plunger assembly being interposed between the socket on said block and the spherical surface on the inner end of said control lever to form a toggle mechanism therewith, a contact ring on said telescoping member of insulating material, and a plurality of electrical contact fingers secured at one end in pairs to said contact supporting block, a pair of contact fingers being provided for each of the predetermined rotary positions of said control lever, the free ends of said contact fingers lying in a circular are about the plunger assembly and adapted to be engaged in pairs by said contact ring when said control lever is in its predetermined rotary positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l,736,849 Douglas Nov. 26, 1929 2,507,016 Hesh May 9, 1950 2,521,489 Sorenson Sept. 5, 1950 2,623,142 Karl Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 684,291 France Mar. 17, 1930 

